you're dripping like a saturated sunrise
by gaymerkree
Summary: "You know how Ruby can get sometimes." Weiss takes a deep breath to stop herself from crying. Yang's grip on her tightens, and she burrows into Weiss' neck, voice coming out muffled, "She's not trying to hurt you,"


It had been a long week, what with the election, arresting her father, and saving all of mental, she's so tired she doesn't remember what bed she falls into till she wakes up to golden eyes and a sad smile.

"Hey Weiss, how you doing?" There's a laugh behind Blake and Weiss sighs.

"Is the princess finally awake?" She sits up and takes in the room, it's dark but a lamp and Yang's scroll light up the room enough for Weiss to see they're missing a member.

Ignoring Yang's question Blake takes a seat next to Weiss, and the blue eyed girl meets gold and sighs again.

"She's training, again. She's really excited to be a full fledged huntress, and so early-"

"I know Blake. I know I shouldn't take it personally." But she does. The entire time they'd been in atlas Ruby had been… busy. Training and debriefing, she is their leader after all, but Weiss was her _partner_, and Weiss needed her sometimes too.

Across the room Yang stops pretending to look at her scroll and makes her way to Blake's bunk, crawls in and pulls Weiss, squawking in protest, into a soft hug. Blake climbs in fully too, and slides herself sideways to lock Weiss into the bunk.

They're situated oddly, Yang sitting up against the back of the bunk with Weiss sitting between her legs and Blake weaved between their legs, a soft cuddle puddle that makes her flush. Yang has an arm around Weiss's waist with her fingers latched onto Blake's and the other arm rubbing soft circles against Weiss's back.

"You know how Ruby can get sometimes." Weiss takes a deep breath to stop herself from crying. Yang's grip on her tightens, and she burrows into Weiss' neck, voice coming out muffled, "She's not trying to hurt you,"

"I know!" the room goes quiet, and Blake finds one of Weiss' hands in the dark and squeezes softly.

"Have you tried to talk to her?" Weiss lets out a shuttered breath, tears pricking her eyes.

"I don't want to bother her, and I don't want to be needy..." She trails off and pulls her knees tighter to her chest. Blake wraps herself tighter to the other two girls, and lets Weiss quake softly between them.

"Weiss, you're going through a lot right now, she needs to know." Yang's voice is soft in the quiet room.

The former heiress lets out a barking laugh, "I'm just doing what's right, I-" she lets out a choked sob, everything that had happened since she left the Schnee manor months ago were catching up to her, and she really needed her partner, her best friend, she really needed Ruby.

For a while they sit, curled around each other, Weiss' quiet sobs the only sound in the quiet room. Their positions switched over time, Yang still sat against the wall, but Weiss lay with her head in Yang's lap, and Blake lay next to her, curled around the blue eyed girl protectively.

It's deep into the night when Ruby comes back to their room, she says goodnight to Penny before quietly creeping in. The light from the lamp illuminates the small room, and she follows the light to Blake's bunk, and the three girls wrapped in each other. Weiss' eyes are close, but even in the dim light she can see they're puffy, and the tear streaks down her face still present. Yang is asleep, snoring lightly and only Blake moves to look at Ruby, stock still in the doorway.

"Is everything okay?" Ruby's voice waivers, frantically searching her memory for something that would put Weiss in this position.

Blake tightens her hold on Weiss, and it strikes Ruby how intimate the gesture is, and she feels something deep in her twist. What could be wrong with Weiss? Why didn't she come to Ruby? Why did Ruby have to find out that something had brought her best friend, had brought _Weiss_ to tears, by walking into their shared room to find her wrapped in her sister and Blake's arms.

"A lot has happened Ruby, I think you need to talk to Weiss, when she wakes up." Blake's voice is hushed, her grip on Weiss never loosening. Ruby begins to speak, to make an excuse, but Blake's voice cuts her off, "When was the last time you two had a talk?"

The question catches the brunette off guard, she thinks, really thinks about the last time she really spoke to Weiss. The realization that, since they arrived in Atlas her and Weiss had nearly zero alone time, deflated her. She feels a pang in her chest, and looks to Weiss' sleeping form again.

"I'll do that Blake, thanks for looking after Weiss."

The next morning Weiss wakes still wrapped in her team mate's arms. Yang is strong confidence against her back, and Blake is cool loyalty pressed against her front, and Weiss sighs before sitting up. She crawls out of the bed and watches as her teammates move to make up the space left in her wake, snuggling into each other. Her back pops slightly as she stretches and yawns, and she's startled slightly as the door opens behind her. She turns quickly to face a tired Ruby Rose.

"_Ruby_," and she hates how desperate she sounds, but they're finally alone together. Well not _alone_, but alone enough.

Her fingers twitch, she wants to reach out and touch the brunette before her, but the vice on her heart holds her back.

"Weiss!" Ruby's voice is a squeek, and the way she fidgets from one foot to the other makes Weiss' breath come out quick. "I'm glad you're awake!"

Taking a deep breath Weiss forces a smile, "Y-yeah! I guess I passed out huh?" She wants to say more, but breathing is hard and Ruby is _right there_. Were you… Out all night?"

The way she says it makes Ruby's heart ache, she licks her lips, and clenches her fists. "No! I uh, just woke up early, you looked like you needed the sleep, and were-uh… comfortable." There's another twist in her chest when she remembers seeing Weiss that morning, curled comfortably between their other team mates, without her.

Weiss tries to make an excuse, to explain why she was curled up in Blake's bed with Ruby's _sister_ and her girlfriend, but she doesn't know why she feels the need. Ruby had been _busy_. She didn't have the time to talk to Weiss let alone worry if she was doing alright, so why would it matter if she slept with Yang and Blake?

"It was alright, cramped." Ruby laughs softly, a bubble of a giggle, and it brings a smile to her lips, breathing is a little easier.

"Weiss… I-We-" Weiss cocks her head to the side, "Would you like to have breakfast together?"

With a soft "Oh." Weiss' heart beats in double time, and she feels tears burn at her eyes. "Yeah, I would love to."

So they do, they find a small restaurant outside of the academy and order to go. Food in hand they found an empty room to eat in, just the two of them. Weiss eats quietly and Ruby makes several attempts to start a conversation, just for the words to die in her throat.

When Weiss finishes and Ruby hasn't even made a dent in her breakfast, she lays a hand on Ruby's steadily bouncing knee. "Ruby, is everything okay?" And the twist in her heart tightens at Weiss's words. This was all for her, so Ruby could ask her those very words, and instead of _Weiss_ talking about what's been troubling her, the former heiress had asked _her._

Ruby takes a shuddering breath, moving her food from her lap before looking into Weiss' clear blue eyes. "No." Weiss startles a little, panic flooding through her, every thought clear and present in those shining pools of blue.

"What happened? What can I do?" Weiss is up and sitting next to Ruby, hand on her shoulder and Ruby can't help but laugh.

"You're not okay Weiss, and I didn't notice." Ruby's voice is soft, but clear. Speechless, Weiss sits, mouth agape, and Ruby continues. "I'm so sorry Weiss, you've been going through so much, and I haven't been here for you, you're hurting and you needed your partner, you needed me.

Weiss sits unmoving, the words of her partner fade in the air, and she can feel tears again. "No-I'm… I'm fine Ruby, we're all-" But Ruby shakes her head, lifting a finger to quiet her partner.

"You're brave Weiss, you're dealing with so much from your past, and all of this other stuff, and you're trying to keep it in, but you don't have to, you can talk to me. I'm sorry you felt like you couldn't." Weiss, crying fully, leans against Ruby's shoulder and shudders.

Ruby shifts, and wraps her cape around Weiss and herself, making a human tent between them, and let's Weiss cry against her.

It takes time for Weiss to cry it all out. When she's done they've shifted, she's leaning her back against Ruby's front in the abandoned bunk, Ruby's cape still wrapped around them, tinting each other red. Ruby takes her time just looking at Weiss, at the person her partner has become. Weiss' eyelashes had gotten so long and pretty, highlighting her sky blue eyes. Ruby's gaze moves to Weiss' lips, and she feels herself flush. Here she is, trying to make Weiss feel better, and she has to go and start looking at Weiss' pretty lips.

Weiss moves, shifting to look at Ruby directly, "Ruby, are you okay?" She lifts a hand to press against Ruby's reddened face, "You look flushed."

Ruby pulls away, looking anywhere but the beautiful Atlesian before her. "Wh-what about you? How are you feeling?"

Letting her hand trickle down Ruby's cheek Weiss smiles softly, letting blue meet silver. "I'm doing better, thanks to you." Ruby can feel her heart swell at the words, and she reaches for Weiss' hand. Weiss entwined their fingers, smiling brightly at her partner.

Weiss leans forward and presses a soft kiss to Ruby's cheek. Ruby panics, shifting away, but her head bumps into the back of the bunk and she slides awkwardly knocking Weiss forward. They end up with Weiss holding herself above Ruby, both flushed. Ruby takes a deep breath, but when she locks eyes with Weiss she feels like she can't breathe.

She's not sure who leans forward first, but they're kissing softly, all awkwardness between them gone. Weiss pulls back, flushed to her ears, and Ruby (her hands still resting on Weiss' shoulders) tugs the white haired girl back down.

They lay there for a while, absorbing each other's presence. A knock on the door startles them, and Weiss bolts upright when Yang's voice booms from the other side of the door. Weiss smiles at Ruby, and with one last glance they open the door to join their team mates.


End file.
